The present invention relates to an improved formulation for tile grout. Materials used in flooring systems must be durable. Flooring systems designed for use in commercial and industrial applications are designed to be especially durable. Although there are many types of flooring systems which are applied in liquid form and allowed to cure, tile floors are also being used in commercial and industrial areas. Hard tile material, such as ceramic, can produce a durable floor, which is also attractive. This type of floor finds use in many applications such as showrooms for large and heavy items. A ceramic tile floor requires a grout which is strong and durable. The grout must also be flexible to absorb pressure due to movement of the tile and shock loads delivered to the floor. In commercial and industrial applications, the flooring system, including the grout, must resist staining and withstand washing with detergent. Often, it is desirable to have the grout pigmented to match or complement the color of the flooring tile. It is important that the coloring, of the grout, be resistant to fading from use and from cleaning.
The need to provide grout in various shades of color to add an attractive look to the flooring system has been addressed by adding pigment to the grout mixture. The U.S. Pat. No. 5,362,322, to Johansen discloses the use of color pigments in an epoxy base grout. The product is intended to reduce damage due to vibration. While ceramic tile has a desirable hard surface, grout, which is intended to be flexible, also tends to be porous and is susceptible to staining. The U.S. Pat. No. 5,569,696, to Abramson discloses a stain resistant grout, for ceramic tile, composed of acrylic latex, aliphatic urethane and paraffin, which is colored with pigment. This product can be used alone or combined with portland cement. The exposure of grout to detergent and petro-chemicals causes the pigment near the surface of the grout to be washed out or stained. The loss of color, at the surface detracts from the appearance of the floor and the penetration of the detergent and petro-chemicals can cause the premature deterioration of the grout.
In addition, epoxy base grout is a two part system. The parts must be combined, in an appropriate ratio and mixed immediately prior to application. Once the parts are combined, the grout will cure in a relatively short period of time. Grout which is mixed and not used must be wasted. Likewise, grout which may be combined with another material, such as portland cement, requires mixing, at the work site, if another material is to be added. Typically, another material is needed for any application where the grout must have an amount of stiffness to prevent migration before curing. A tiled wall is an example of such an application.
There is a need for a one part, stain resistant, colorfast colored grout, which can be used with ceramic tile in commercial and industrial applications, which can be applied directly from a container, without mixing.